Brothers
by Chibirini1
Summary: A continuation of chapter 548, Itachi and Sasuke finally stop to have their reunion, as brothers.


**Note: If you have not the latest chapter, chapter 548, of naruto and do not wish for spoilers, please do not continue reading. you've been warned!**

"It is not like I'm running away. I told that there are important things I have to do."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as if to hold back the words that only exploded from him a second later.

"No! Answer me!"

Itachi inhaled and exhaled deeply while still springing from each tree to the next. _I must stop_, he thought. He knew his little brother. Sasuke had waited to kill him for almost nine years. He was not one to give up on things easily.

Itachi halted himself in the air without slowing, instead leaping to the ground with a light thunk. An identical one behind him reminded Itachi of a different time.

"_Nii-san, wait!" Sasuke was calling to him from behind. Itachi sighed. He knew Sasuke just wanted some time, but Itachi knew it would be easier this way, and he had missions to do anyways. Missions Sasuke couldn't take part of anymore, like when they were younger. _

_Still, Itachi halted. He had to get Sasuke back home, he couldn't keep following him. But he also felt a tug inside; he knew Sasuke hated to be ignored._

"_Nii-san, please can you just show me how to curve a kunai? It will only take a moment!" Sasuke begged as Itachi turned to see his brother. _

_Sasuke's face was young, unmarred by age or negative emotions. He was so innocent. Itachi's lips tugged upward, but fell almost instantaneously. He knew what he had to do._

"_Sorry Sasuke, maybe another time."_

_Sasuke frowned and lurched forward to grab tightly of Itachi's shirt sleeve._

"_C'mon, you are always busy! I want to be strong too!" Itachi felt his eyes grow softer as the emotion spiked in him. _

_He poked the younger one in the forehead, causing his hold to loosen from Itachi's shirt. Itachi then ruffled the younger one's hair affectionately._

"_I know, and you will be strong someday. But I can't help you right now. You find your own way today." Itachi turned and leapt into the trees quickly, so Sasuke couldn't follow him._

_Sasuke ran a few steps as if to take up chase once more, but slowed when he realized Itachi had seemingly left. He thought about what Itachi had said. _

_Find your own way…_

_Sasuke carefully took out a kunai from his pack and held it, feeling the sharp weight in his hand._

_Gripping it tightly, he took stance as the wind blew through his hair, ruffling it as his brother had just minutes before. Sasuke threw it, tilting his hand and focusing his chakra, but the kunai flew completely straight, as Itachi had taught him. Sasuke frowned, but continued to throw the kunai again and again, even as the sun moved across the sky._

_A pair of red eyes watched him from above, watching his struggle and his chakra begin to flow into the right pattern, watch his movements fall into place. And finally, to see the kunai fly forward, then curve to the right as if pulled. The lips beneath the eyes smiled. Then they were gone._

_Itachi ran towards the mountain that edged on Konoha, chiding himself for the time spent not on his mission._

_But inside, he regretted nothing. Sasuke would be ok._

Itachi turned to see his brothers red eyes, staring at him urgently. He was shocked to see them staring at him, acknowledging him without hate. For once, he knew Sasuke wasn't imagining his death. It was strange, it had been so long. Gone was the admiration and love, but Itachi wondered inwardly if they were still there underneath, waiting. He felt himself thaw, or rather let himself. He knew that any loving emotion toward Sasuke would only strengthen Sasuke's fire of hatred towards Konoha, but Itachi thought back to his conversation with Naruto.

All his manipulations and efforts of trying to lead Sasuke down the right path failed, it turned him into a monster, and in Sasuke's eyes, into a monster himself. Although Itachi knew that practically all felt hate for him and thought him that, it was Sasuke that hurt the worst.

"What do you mean? I can see through the lies Itachi, I can see the truth now!" Sasuke's face was one of an adult now, but the way he held his lips, it was so similar to his face when he was younger and demanded something.

"Perhaps you see the truth, but you are quite blind to other things." Itachi replied. Sasuke's brow furrowed, a flash of irritation flowing through him.

"I am blind to nothing, I see what you see, and I know what's real!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "You are blind to the right path. You think what has been done to me, has been done to you, dictates your actions. You see things as an eye for an eye, to take what has been already taken from you. You are wrong, Sasuke." Sasuke was taken back, as he felt a slight shift in his brother's words. Gone was the chill, the lack of emotion. In its place was a clear voice, one that urged him with Itachi's words. The tone of an older brother. Itachi met Sasuke's eyes.

"You are truly blind, Sasuke." Sasuke felt it, felt that feeling. He was not to be patronized. Sasuke was strong, he saw the truth, and he could not be stopped. He was power.

"I have achieved light! I have achieved power!" he shouted at Itachi. Itachi did not back down, instead stared at him with a level of calmness.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the vision of Itachi began to change as his sharingan took place.

"I will have answers." He whispered. An arm of his susuno'o threw forward, with Itachi catching it in time, blocking it away. Sasuke was astonished at the strength. He had a better sharingan, yet his brother seemed to be an equal match. He darted forward again, but suddenly Itachi darted up, onto a branch. Sasuke stalled, a ninja with higher ground has a better hand.

"I will not fight you Sasuke." Itachi sad, closing his eyes. Sasuke stared up at him as Itachi sighed.

"I will not spend my time here battling you once more." Sasuke's hands curled into fists, seething.

"_I have absolutely no interest in you."_ Sasuke remembered his brother's words, the way he brushed him away, not strong enough to stop him.

Not again.

"You cannot brush me off any longer!" Sasuke yelled. "You are strong now, as am I. If you won't give me answers, I will take them!"He twitched his hand, readying the lightning chidori, but as he did before, he felt a cool hand on his wrist. This time it did not contract to disable him, but merely halted his concentration. Sasuke lifted his eyes to meet his brother's.

"I'm sorry Sasuke…" Itachi dropped his hand.

"Not again..." Sasuke whispered. Itachi met his brother's eyes with understanding, and for once, recognition.

"Nii-san…" Sasuke uttered, not realizing the words that fell automatically.

Itachi's lips parted. He exhaled as the word rang in his head, as he gazed at his brother beside him.

Itachi smiled.

"It's been so long..." he murmured. Sasuke stepped back, shocked by his own words.

"I…"

"I'm sorry Sasuke. For everything. You need…" Itachi gazed even more intently towards Sasuke as a wind breezed through the trees, ruffling the boys' hair. "You need to find your own path." Itachi finished.

Sasuke couldn't speak; the words and thoughts were locked in his head. Itachi reached out to Sasuke, as small flakes began to peel off from him, as he left.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "No!" He screamed, half angry, half begging. "

I'm not ready! I have to ask you-!" Itachi's hand began to completely warp, scattering into the wind. Sasuke leapt towards him, but it was too late.

"Next time, Sasuke…" the words echoed in Sasuke's ears.

"No." He shook, in the space Itachi had just stood. "No." His eyes began to fill.

"NO! NII-SAN!" He began to sob, crying into the wind. "NII-SAN!"

His words echoed, with no acknowledgment. Itachi was gone, really gone. Free.

"Don't leave me alone…" Sasuke covered his face with his hands, still shaking.

"Don't leave me alone again Nii-san…"

Sasuke stood, without his brother, without love, in the forest, alone.

**A/N**

**I know, I haven't written in forever! So to cure my wroter's blick, I wrote this! Not really as a story, just something in my head after I read Naruto today~ **

**Hope you liked, tell me if you do! ;D**


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